5 Questions for Political Candidates, Lunch with Dez Thornton , and Creating a Positive Culture with Trace Blackmore

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February 2020 Newsletter

FEATURED ARTICLE

Five Questions to Ask Anyone Running for Office in 2020

You'd have to be a hermit to not know this is an election year. Our news is filled with coverage on the upcoming presidential primaries. There are senate and house representative elections in every state this year and scores of local elections.

There is no shortage of issues for the candidates to discuss this year. The presidential candidate debates have been consumed with talks on healthcare, immigration, government spending, foreign policy, and much more. There's one topic, however, that hasn't gotten much attention from the candidates but is actually worthy of much more of their time. Small Business.

For the first time in the history of this country, entrepreneurship in the United States is on the decline. Fewer small businesses are getting started each year than ever before, and the total number of small businesses in this country has dropped as more businesses are closing their doors.

One of the greatest institutions in this country, small business, is at peril and nobody in government seems to care. This is despite the fact that small business creates the majority of new jobs in the U.S. (about 75%), leads the way for innovation (10-15 times more than larger companies), and is the primary driver of the overall domestic economy (over 50% of GDP).

What's causing entrepreneurship to decline in the U.S.? Several key factors are at play:

CONTINUE READING - KEY FACTORS >>

SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS - THE PODCAST

When he was just a boy, Trace Blackmore often went to work with his father. Decades later, Trace combined the skills his father taught him with the business knowledge he'd gained over the years to start his own water treatment business. Today, Trace is not only the President of Blackmore Enterprises, he is also the host of Scaling Up! H2O, the popular podcast for water treatment professionals with 10,000 subscribers and growing.

On this episode of Small Business Matters the Podcast, Trace drops by to talk about following in his father's footsteps, venturing out on his own, and the importance of creating a positive work culture within your organization.

LISTEN TO PODCAST >>

SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS @LUNCH

Mark your calendars for these upcoming 2020 Lunch Dates!

February 24 | March 16 | April 20

Join us @Lunch Monday, February 24 with special guest speaker, Dez Thornton.

Participate in an engaging keynote presentation designed to demonstrate how to develop and deliver clear presentations. Using his proprietary Diamond Delivery Method™, speech writer and coach Dez Thornton will teach you how to cut through the clutter and lead listeners to desirable conclusions.

Whether looking into a camera, connecting one-to-one or speaking to a group, you'll become more proficient at making dynamic impressions. The skills learned during the program are immediately transferrable from the stage (presentation) to the boardroom (conversation).

Learn to:

Plan, develop and deliver professional presentations
Inspire willful audience engagement
Increase acceptance of ideas and proposals
Grab and hold audience attention
Make the complex simple
Fast track comprehension
Avoid embarrassment and reputation harm
Reduce anxiety
Increase confidence, gain trust and expand influence

Event Location: First Citizens Bank

3300 Cumberland Blvd NE, Atlanta, GA 30339

Register Now! Bring a Friend!

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Thank you to our 2020 SBM@Lunch Sponsor:

About First Citizens Bank

With a 121 year history and presence in 19 states, First Citizens is one of the largest family controlled banks in the nation. As a family-run bank, First Citizens continues to build their bank by serving primarily family-owned businesses, as well as small non-profits.

Specifically, we are the leaders in Healthcare and Professional Services, Owner-Occupied Real Estate, as well as Equipment Lending. We take pride in building long-term, consultative relationships, and have built a process that provides our clients with quicker feedback, more transparency, and very competitive rates.

ARTICLES OF INTEREST

The following articles got my attention this month.

One Bad Apple written by Patrick Lencioni

Why do CEOs put up with bad employees? Terrorists? As an executive coach, I face this situation with clients regularly. Best-selling author Patrick Lencioni addresses the issue and provides several good options for getting rid of bad employees in this article.

READ THE ARTICLE >>

Think in Threes written by Fred Hassan

The brain is wired to think in patterns of three. How are you using this to your advantage as a small business leader. This article from Chief Executive magazine gives us several ways we can leverage "three's" in our thinking and actions as a leader.

How to Stop Thinking About Work at 3am written by Rebecca Zucker

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night, start thinking about work,,and then find it almost impossible to get back to sleep? This Harvard Business review article gives the reader several strategies for getting back to sleep at night.